Trolley-wheel.



PATENTED APR. 28, 1908.

W. W. NEIGHBOUR.'

TROLLEY WHEEL.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 1s, 1907.

actora/w13 UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE.

"LLIAM WNIGHBOUR, OF DENISON, TEXAS.

TROLLEY-WHEEL.

'['o all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, WiLLIAM W. NEIGE# trolley wheels and harps, theobject of thev invention being to provide a construction by which theordinary axle, journal boxes and tie bolt may be dispensed with and thewheel mounted in anti-friction bearings so as to have free revolublemovement, and by which the current may be transmitted from the conductorwire through the center of the wheel to the trolley pole without breakor division in its passage and also without passing through the bearingsproper of thewheel.

A further object of the invention is to provide anti-friction bearings'of novel construction which are adapted ito be conveniently applied andremoved in the operation of mounting the wheel and removing. the samefor renewal or repairs, and which are effectually insulated from theelectric current conductors. Y

A still further object is to provide a novel construction of meanswhereby the wheel will be effectually lubricated.

W'ith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of thefeatures of onstruction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side/view of a trolley harpand wheel constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is avertical cross section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the trolley pole,upon which is mounted the wheel supporting yoke or harp 2, said harpcomprising a socket 3 receiving' the upper end of the pole and suitablyfastened thereto, as by bolts or rivets 4, and having upwardly extendingbowed or curved arms 5 connected and reinforced by a tie bolt -6. Theupper ends of the arms 5 terminate in parallel earingheads 6a.

The heads 6a are of 'cup-form and pro vided on their inner faces with-recesses 7 recciving bearing blocks ordisks 8 composed in whole or partof insulating material. These disks are of annular formand are providedwith central openings, 9 for the passage of Specification of LettersPatent.

Application led July 13, 1907.

Patented April 28, 1908.

Serial No. 383,589.

spindles 10. The said spindles 'project inwardly through openings 11 inthe heads, and are preferably hollow to form receptacles or chambers fora suitable lubricating substance, and are secured at their outer ends tosprings 12, said springs being detachably secured to the outer faces ofthe heads by screws or other suitable fastenings 13y and operating toforce the spindles inwardly. In the form shown, the spindles are ofconical shape, their reduced ends extending inwardly beyond the innerfaces of the bearing disks 8 for engagement with the hub 'of the trolleywheel and being open to provide reduced feed passages for the How orfeed of the lubricant to the hub.

The trolleyvwheel comprises achanneled rim formed of two sections Hand15and a body-comprising a central conducting plate I 16 and oppositeouter disks 17 of insulating The outer faces of the disks 17 are edges,which terminate short of the outerV edge of the late 16. The ed'ge ofthe plate 16 is bevele upon both sides to a point, the bevel or taperconforming to the bevel 'or taper of the edges of the disks 17. Thedisks are apertured to receive sockets 18 projecting laterally from thecenter of the plate 16, which sockets form a hub and receive the innerends of the s indles 10, by which the wheel is journaled or rotation onsaid s indle, and the hub and bearing surfaces t us far mentioned arelubricated therefrom. The tapered outer edge of the 'body fof the wheelconstructed in the manner described fits betweenthe meeting faces of therim sections 14 and 15, which are beveled to produce a correspondinglyformed receiving recess, said rim sections being coupled and united tothe body of the Wheel by transverse coupling bolts or rivets 19. Y

The inner faces of the disks 8 and outer faces ofthe disks 17 areannular grooved to form race-Wa s for sets of bearing balls 20 by whichthe w eel is mounted to turn freely the wheel and through which thevcurrent i passes to the hub 18,v thence through the spindles 10 andsprings 512 to the arms of the yoke, and thence through the trolley pole1 to the motor circuit of the car. As a result of this construction andarrangement, the

the center of the wheel and thence through the sides of the harp to thetrolley pole. In-

practice, the bearing disks 8 and the disks 17 of the bodyof the wheelmay. have their grooves metal-lined to relieve the same from undue wear,or may be constructed in any other suitable manner to provide hardenedbearings for the balls to run in contact with. From lthe foregoingdescription, take in connection with the drawing, it will be seen l andalso for lubricating the Wheel in an efii' that my invention provides atrolley wheel and harp wherein the objectionable ractice Aoi mountingthe wheel upon an a e journaled in boxes is obviated, and provision madefor securing free rotary movement of..

the wheel with a minimum degree of friction,

cient manner. It will further be seen that the construction is/ such asto permit of the ready assemblage and disassemblage of the parts,andlthat the mode of mounting the wheel causes it to at all times runtrue, thus reducing Wear and tear. By the tapered formation of thespindles and their receiving sockets in the hub undue lateral pressureof the wheel on the bearing balls is revented, and by utilizing thespindles as lu ricant receptacles the wheel may be kept supplied with asufficient amount of lubricant to adaptiit'to run freely on thespindles.

Having thus described the invention, what .I claim as new and desiretosecure by Letters Patent is f l. A tro1leywheelfcomrising a centralmetallic disk provided `Wit a hub, disks of insulating material onopposite sides of the esaeee cured to thel disks' and in contact withthe central disk.

2. A trolley wheel comprising a central conducting disk` provided withhub, disks of insulating material on opposite sides of the central diskand perforated to receive the ends of the hub, a sectional rim receivingthe edges of the disks, and means fastening the rim sections to thedisks.

3. In a trolley Wheel, the combination of a harp, conducting spindlessupported by the arms of the harp, and a trolley wheel having a hubturning on said spindles, and provided with an insulated conductorleading from its rim to said hub. l

4. In a trolley wheel, the combination of a harp, conducting bearingsupon the arnis'of the harp, a trolley wheeljournaled 4on said bearingsand provided with la conductor leading from its rim to the hub, andvball bearings between the wheel and harp arms, said bearings beinginsulated from the wheel and arms.

5. In a trolley wheel, the combination of a harp, hollow lubricatingspindles upon the arms of thehar said s indles forming conductors, awhee Journa ed on said spindles andhaving an electrical conductorconnected therewith, and ball bearings between the'

